I GREW UP OVERNIGHT

"Good morning." Ella greets her boyfriend with some sweet kisses. "How was your night?"

Abdullah yawns loudly. "You seem very happy this morning." He whispers with some kisses too.

"I just feel so blessed to have you."

"You are bipolar!" He exclaims jokingly and both of them burst into laughter. "Last night, you were brooding all over, now you are super excited."

"I just feel a lot better this morning." She holds him tightly placing his head on her chest so close that he can feel her heartbeat. "Can you hear my heart beat?"

"It's beating faster than normal."

Darifa kicks the door open and sees her friends in a very love up mood. "Isn't it too early for this?" She asks and walks in. "We are all waiting for you outside, but you are here having fun."

"You have a very bad timing." Abdullah groans and sits on the bed. "I was in the middle of something nice."

Darifa hits his head. "Middle of what? Get up now and come outside, we have something very important to discuss."She walks out of the room, giving them time to get some clothes on.

"Where are they?" Asma asks as soon Darifa steps out if the room.

"They are on their way." She replies and sits close to Shamim.

The couple walks out of their room and occupies the empty couches.

"What did you find out when you tailed Linda?" Abdullah asks Shamim.

"She is seriously disturbed about what happened last night that she asked a worker if there are any hidden cameras."

"Then, I guess we can't use that on her anymore. We need to get words from her mouth without forcing her to." Darifa pauses and continues. "How do you think we can it?"

"Probably we should change our target." Ella whispers. "At least, we have confirmed the real culpirts from her, we should be able to get the reason behind their actions from someone else."

For once, Miss Smith finally says something meaningful without getting in her own feelings and everyone in the room seems pretty happy and impressed.

"Do you have anyone in your mind?" Darifa asks.

"If Jessie killed my family, then I am sure she was involved with one of them in some ways, but my mind keeps saying she had something to do with my father. Hence, someone who was always with my father should be able to tell me if he had something to do with Jessucs or not."

"Who is that person?" Darifa asks again bending her head to look at Ella properly.

"My father's driver, his name, Oluwole Jacobs, but I call him pappy yo."

"Nigeria is calling already?" Abdullah asks.

Shamim nods. "I guess so."

"But you seem very different this morning, you are starting to support and feel this mission, when you were clearly against it before, May I ask you why you changed your mind?" Asma asks.

"I grew up overnight." Miss Smith whispers.

"What made you decide to grow up? You are tired of what life has given to you?" Darifa asks with a bit of sacarsm. "You have been so naive."

"Naive," Ella shook her head dejected after another disappointment. She had been on the run for as long as she could remember, not sure of what chased after her. Sometimes she feels that the first thirteen years of her life was a dream, a house to call her own, family, wealth, and influence all disappeared like they never existed "I am tired of running, it is time to go back and get answers," She nods, "I have decided to give life what it has given to me too."

"How do you intend on paying back?" Asma asks out of curiosity.

"I will pay back in tenfolds, be it pain or happiness. I will pay it back in the folds."

The team leader smiles and rests her back on the couch. "That is the Ella I have been looking for."

"So, what next? Are we heading to Nigeria?" Abdullah asks.

"It's all up to the team leader to decide." Ella replies.

Darifa sits up just as she was sitting before, "we are heading to Nigeria for sure, but we must make Linda feel our presence a bit."

"How do you intend on doing that?" Asma asks again out of curiosity.

The team leader refuses to say anything and just laughs maniacally. "Abdullah, tell your brother to help us in search of the man Ella mentioned earlier." She giggles. "Make sure you send the name as a text message to him, so you won't have problems pronouncing it."

"I get that." Abdullah chuckles and nods.

"Shamim." Darifa calls sternly. "Would you mind if we used Casandra-" she pauses and corrects herself. "Ayano, once more?"

"Use her? What for?"

"She was a spy once, she can always be one again." Darifa whispers sneakingly.

The situation is starting to get very tough on her brother, Ella was smart enough to realize that. Seeing Cassandra won't be easy, most especially when he is trying move on. He won't speak up, so she decides to speak up for her brother. "I don't think that will be a good idea." she opposes.

"Why so you think so?" Asma asks.

"Have you forgotten she can do anything for money? She can still stab us in the back for our enemies if money is involved."

"Ohhh!" Darifa nods. "I totally agree with you."

"Can we go and get some food?!" Asma grunts. "I am so hungry."

"Is there anything else you like in this world other than food?" Ella asks sarcastically and every one laughs.

"I actually love someone than food now." she replies and the entire room goes silent.

"I didn't even say someone, I said something." Miss Smith remarks sarcasticaly still.

"Who is that?" Darifa asks ignoring Ella's remark, but didn't get a reply on time. So she asks again. "Uncle Eric?"

"Yes." Asma whispers with a gentle nod.

Abdullah annoyingly throws the pillow close to him at her, which Darifa catches and Asma guides herself with her hands. "Are you crazy?" He asks with a strong tone of annoyance which is really very rare.

"Look here." Shamim whispers to her. "Uncle Eric is forty two years of age, and you are just twenty three."

"That is not my problem." Darifa cuts in and stares at her friend. "This man literally watched us grow up. If he was someone we all don't know, it might have been better."

"His first child is thirteen years of age, she is most likely to rebel to anything you do." Ella tries to persuade her.

"I am not saying I want to marry him, I just want to date him and see if things would work out or not."

"What if it does not work out?" Shamim asks. "Total discomfort is what you will experience whenever you are around him, it might even mar our relationship. As far as you are our friend, you will get to see him every time."

"Think of what he just said and try to be considerate." Abdullah says.

"Let's go and have breakfast." Asma whispers, changing the topic.